RIP Butch

My father in law, Maynard "Butch" Hansen, passed last night at the age of 68, less than two weeks after finding out he had cancer. Honestly, until a couple weeks ago, he wasn't really even feeling that bad. He went to the hospital for a sore back, and various tests revealed the cancer and failing kidneys (which is what he eventually succumbed to). I gotta say, if given the choice between a quick exit and a future where the only certainly was chemo and radiation, I'd probably take the same option. Well played, sir.

Butch had an affinity for large, loud, bowtied automobiles and trucks. He had a '49 Chevy cabover on a motorhome chassis, a '68 1500 pickup with a 4.3 V6, and a big block on a rolling stand with open headers that he'd just start up and rev the piss out of to inform the neighbors that there's no replacement for displacement. Everything he drove displayed the yellow, red and green ribbon signifying his service in Vietnam, but he wouldn't say anything about is unless you asked him. Even then, he wouldn't say much.

His garage hosted more than a few GRM new years celebrations/lets-see-what-goes-in-the-firepit experiments, and he'd occasionally drop off a pot of his simple yet effective chili at the office when he was out making his rounds.

Should you want to commit a gratuitous display of horsepower in his honor, I'm sure he'd have appreciated it.

jg

Sorry to hear it man, but it sounds like he was a helluva guy. Here's to celebrating his life, rather than mourn his death.

Will fire up the MG in his honor tonight. V8 powered with open headers.

So sorry for your loss, he sounds like a fun guy.

RIP. I will pay homage to his life and his toys by viewing dozens of pages of the cabover thread on the HAMB tonight.

My deepest condolences to you and the family. He sounded like a great guy and the great ones go too damn early. If there is a God in Heaven, he will take me as quickly, just not so early. I watched my mother wither away for years, living in a nursing home and getting limbs chopped off due to bad circulation.

JG, you need to go fire that BB mother up.

I'm sorry for your loss, jg. The wife will need an extra 'just because' hug or three for a while.

Butch, sorry I can't light off a BB Chevy for ya but I will do something loud soon.

I'm very sorry for your loss JG. I fired up my Dakota last night, just to hear the potato cam. That was probably a fitting homage.

Seems like a great guy to have as a friend and to be around Sorry for your loss .

.

everything I have put together isn't enough hp to do him proud .... but I'll rev them up one after another anyway

terribly sorry to hear ... I also have the Viet Nam service colors on all that I drive ... as with "Butch" there's not all that much to talk about ...

thoughts and prayers are with you and all his family

Yep, Butch was awesome. Basically, he's who you want to be when you grow up.

Sounds like an all-around classic honcho. I'm sorry he didn't have 10-15 more years, but as you say, 2 weeks from news to departure is not a bad way to check out when the time comes.

In you honor, sir, and thanks for your public services.

Wish I could have met him. Sounds like he was a great car guy. I'm sorry for your loss.

Just think, he's in a better place, where it's always 72 degrees and nothing ever runs out of gasoline.

I'm sorry to hear that JG, my thoughts and prayers are with you and yours.

Butch was indeed one of those guys who just made life more lively. A world without him is.... diminished.

Margie

Sorry for your loss, JG.

Sorry for your loss JG. There's a little more tire smoke in the atmosphere tonight paid in respect to a cool guy who left too soon.

Sorry to hear that. I have an aunt going through chemo right now. Cancer sucks.

Cancer does indeed suck. Good luck JG.

My condolences to you, your wife, her family and the GRM family. I wish I had known him. Sounds like a very cool dude.

So, it turns out my diesel pickup does a nice burnout. And showing a forum thread to an officer of the law gets you a "don't be doing that again, or I'll have to issue a citation." Hopefully he approved (she has no exhaust past the downpipe), and my condolences.

Sorry for the loss.

My condolences to you and your family JG, as well as everyone close to him at GRM.

Condolences, broseph. I don't have a lot of horsepower at my disposal, but if I turn off the TCS i can light a one-tire fire with my mazda6. i shall do that tomorrow morning on my way to work.

I did sacrifice some tire off the wifes car. ms3 is bundled for the winter, mx6 has an electrical issue, so clutch dumping the little german crossbreed it was. It may not be loud, but it makes cool supercharger noises. Butch I didn't get to know you, and I still miss ya.